The Role of Emotional Landmarks on Topographical Memory

Abstract

The investigation of the role of emotional landmarks on human navigation has been almost totally neglected in psychological research. Therefore, the extent to which positive and negative emotional landmarks affect topographical memory as compared to neutral emotional landmark was explored. Positive, negative and neutral affect-laden images were selected as landmarks from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) Inventory. The Walking Corsi test (WalCT) was used in order to test the landmark-based topographical memory. Participants were instructed to learn and retain an eight-square path encompassing positive, negative or neutral emotional landmarks. Both egocentric and allocentric frames of references were considered. Egocentric representation encompasses the object's relation to the self and it is generated from sensory data. Allocentric representation expresses a location with respect to an external frame regardless of the self and it is the basis for long-term storage of complex layouts. In particular, three measures of egocentric and allocentric topographical memory were taken into account: (1) the ability to learn the path; (2) the ability to recall by walking the path five minutes later; (3) the ability to reproduce the path on the outline of the WalCT. Results showed that both positive and negative emotional landmarks equally enhanced the learning of the path as compared to neutral emotional landmarks. In addition, positive emotional landmarks improved the reproduction of the path on the map as compared to negative and neutral emotional landmarks. These results generally show that emotional landmarks enhance egocentric-based topographical memory, whereas positive emotional landmarks seem to be more effective for allocentric-based topographical memory.

Keywords: allocentric reference frame; arousal; egocentric reference frame; landmark-based navigation; memory; navigation; valence; wayfinding.

FIGURE 1

The landmark-based navigational memory task. The eight-square path was designed in order to let participants move through the squares, as showed by the red line. (A) Experimental set-up. Written informed consent was obtained from the subject represented in the figure for publication of this experiment. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal. (B) Disposition of the positive, negative and neutral landmarks through the path.

FIGURE 2

Outline of the Walking Corsi Test.

FIGURE 3

Landmark group differences in the learning score of the Walking Corsi Test. The error bars represent the standard errors of the means (confidence interval = 0.95).

FIGURE 4

Landmark group differences in the reproduction of the Walking Corsi Test. The error bars represent the standard errors of the means (confidence interval = 0.95).